Secret nail.



No. 808,968. .PATENTED JAN. 2, 1906.

. W. J. BODA.

SECRET NAIL.

APPLIOATION FILED MAR. 29.1905.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM J. BODA, OF DAYTON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO LEE M. BODA, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO.

SECRET NAIL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

' Patented Jan. 2, 1906.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM J. BODA, of Dayton, in the county of Montgomery, and in the State of Ohio,have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Secret Nails; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of a nail embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of said nail. Fig. 3 is a cross-section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is an edge elevation of the nail. Fig. 5 is a top plan view thereof. Fig. 6 is a view illustrating the nail partly driven in a block of wood, and Fig. 7 is a view showing the nail completely embedded in the block.

The object of my invention has been to provide a nail which can be so driven into any suitable material, and especially into hard wood, that the nail can be completely.

embedded, leaving the surface so uninjured that it will be difficult or impossible to see where the nail was driven; and to such ends my invention consists in the secret nail hereinafter specified.

The form of my invention which I prefer to employ consists, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, of a nail having a shank A, that is substantially elliptical in cross-section, the side surfaces of the nail meeting in edges a, which are comparatively thin and may, if desired, be sharp. The shank of the nail terminates at its lower end in a point, which may be diamond shape. A head B is formed on the upper end of the shank, and the lateral dimensions of the head preferably do not exceed those of the shank. The edges or as they approach the head may recede inward, as illustrated at (1, although this is not essential. 'From its base the lower edges of the head diverge outwardly at an obtuse angle, the head being substantially elliptical in cross section and the lower edges 1) thereof being preferably blunt. The head is provided with a crown b.

In the use of the nail above illustrated an incision is first made in the wood by means of a chisel having a blade that is elliptical in cross section. The nail is then driven nearly or quite flush with the surface of the wood and, by means of a set, is then driven well below the surface. The wood is then place.

allowed to expand by its natural elasticity to .fill up the incision, or a liquid is applied thereto to cause the wood to swell and close the incision, the liquid preferably being one, such as whitingand water, that will not cause the nail to rust and darken the wood. The elliptical shape of the nail enables it to separate the fibers of the wood without cutting or otherwise injuring them. The neck formed by the tapering shank below the head exposes the lower edges 6 of the head, so that they secure a good bearing on the wood and prevent the wood from rising on the nail and draws the wood firmly into The crown b of the head serves to prevent the bending of the neck of the nail if the hammer should not strike the nail squarely. If the crown b of the head were flat and the hammer should strike one end of the crown, a strong bending action would occur on the shank. The convex crown, however, causes the blow to be transmitted toward instead of across the shank in whatever direction it may fall, and thereby enables the reduced shank to be used.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. Asecret nail having a substantially elliptical shank, and having a head that is not substantially thicker than the shank.

2. A secret nail, consisting of a substantially elliptical shank, and a substantially elliptical head, said shank tapering toward the base of said head to expose the under surface of the latter.

3. A secret nail, consisting of a substantially elliptical shank, a substantially elli tical head, said shank tapering toward t e base of said head, and said head having lower edges extending outward from said shank.

4. A secret nail, consisting of a substantially elliptical shank, a substantially elliptical head, said shank tapering toward the base of said head, and said head having lower edges extending outward from said shank, and having a convex upper surface, whereby said tapered shank is .prevented from being injured by misdirected blows.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand.

WILLIAM J. BODA. Witnesses:

W. M. Brook, 0. J. BARD. 

